A violent encounter with a domestic violence suspect forced Mammoth Lakes Police officers to Taser the suspect, 43-year-old Stephen Anthony Mellor, and left the victim of Mellor's attack bruised and bleeding.

Mellor was subsequently arrested an booked at the Mono County Jail on $50,000 bail.

According to the police, on Saturday, May 26, at about 10:30 p.m., Mammoth Lakes Police officers responded to a domestic violence incident at Snowcreek Condos.

Mono County Paramedics and two Mammoth PD officers responded to one condo to contact the victim. The victim was found lying on the floor with lacerations and contusions on her head and face. She said she had been struck multiple times and thrown down the stairs by the suspect, Mellor.

The suspect was in the condo next door. When officers went there, they could hear items being broken inside.

Upon making verbal contact with the suspect, he rapidly threw open the front door, extended his right arm and pointed it toward officers. Officers saw something in his hand and believed it to be a weapon.

The suspect said he had a gun and said he would kill them. He then threw heavy items including a bicycle lock at the officers. Officers believed the suspect may have been suicidal and attempted to cause a “suicide by cop.”

The suspect ultimately forced officers to deploy a Taser and he was taken into custody without further incident. Mellor was taken to Mammoth Hospital to be treated for minor self-inflicted wounds, and then to the Mono County jail where he was booked for felony domestic violence.

"This incident could have had tragic results but for the restraint showed by the officers," Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Dan Watson said in an email sent out with the report Tuesday evening.